How to Make Ministry Experience Matter in Any Job

By Jeff Eads, Co-Executive Director of Muncie Fellows

As a career coach at a state university, I often have students from Christian ministries come into my office for resume reviews and practice interviews. During these conversations, they struggle to translate their experiences at their campus ministries into transferable life skills. They often ask, “What does leading this Bible study have to do with a job?” Or, “Does this international ministry trip add any value to my resume?” The answer is, as it nearly always is, “Yes it’s valuable, but you have to talk about it in the language that is relevant to the employer.”

Let me give a quick example. An education major lists, “Led a Bible study” on her resume for a public school job. That school, likely, is not looking for a Bible study leader. However, they are looking for teachers who have experience creating curriculum and lesson plans, teaching, managing group dynamics, and who can create a flyer advertising upcoming events. Did you do any of those things as part of leading your Bible study? Yes? Well great, say that.

The skills that you have gained in ministry are often transferable to the employer’s needs

I acknowledge that this is a simple example, and sometimes it is more complex. However, there is almost always a need to shift the language to transferable skills. The skills that you have gained in ministry are often transferable to the employer’s needs. In fact, they are the eight secret ingredients for which the employer is looking. Well, maybe the ingredients are not-so-secret. But the fact that these transferable skills are part of the very fabric of a Biblical worldview and ministry experience seems to be a secret.

I am going to let you in on the not-so-secret ingredients and then spend several more posts presenting each transferable skill, or competency, as core values of your faith. But first, let me say this. The source that identified these eight transferable skills is legit and based on national research.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers is the leading source of information on the employment of the college educated, hiring and trends in the job market.

They track starting salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, as well as student attitudes and outcomes. NACE reports that “The career readiness of college graduates is an important issue in higher education, in the labor market, and in the public arena.” They have developed a definition of career readiness, based on extensive research among employers, and identified eight competencies which will indicate a person will be prepared for the workforce. (Details about the research are available here.)

It would be discouraging to find out that these eight competencies were specific skills that are achievable only by uniquely gifted individuals, like, “Must be knowledgeable of xyz software development…and love calculus” etc. Or, that the competencies somehow contradicted your personal values, like, “Must be willing to prioritize work over personal life at all cost.”

The good news is that these competencies directly align with a Biblical worldview:

• Critical Thinking/ Problem Solving
• Oral/ Written Communications
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Digital Technology
• Leadership
• Professionalism/Work Ethic
• Career ManagementGlobal/Intercultural Fluency

In the following posts, we will look at the definitions that NACE gives each of these competencies and what they mean to Christians.

Continue reading this series with Part 2.

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